OKLAHOMA CITY ? Kansas University baseball coach Ritch Price is ready for the next step.

Two Big 12 Conference tournaments in three years is progress enough, but zero postseason victories and a bottom-half finish isn’t where the third-year coach wants to tread.

“The interesting thing about this conference is, in order to be in the first five you have to be in the Top 25,” Price said after KU’s 9-0 loss to Texas on Thursday. “For me, the whole thing is a process. You have to be competitive to have a chance to get over the hump. I think we’ve made great strides in every phase of the game.”

KU certainly was a different team than in the conference-season opener against Nebraska in April. Defense was a costly burden for much of the season but was a strength by the end. KU made no errors in the Big 12 Tournament, and saw a couple of dazzling plays by third baseman Erik Morrison, who struggled early this season at the hot corner, a new position for him.

Price emphasizes one facet that needs to stay consistent — starting pitching. Kodiak Quick will be back for his senior season if he’s not lured by a professional offer. Sean Land and Tyson Corley both started Big 12 games and will return. Price also looks forward to a couple of arms he recruited, including Blue Valley West’s Nick Czyz, the brother of current Jayhawk reliever Don Czyz.

Texas third baseman David Maroul (8) tags out Kansas University catcher Sean Richardson. Randy Boone threw a shutout, and the Longhorns ended the Jayhawks' season with a 9-0 victory in the Big 12 Conference tournament Thursday at SBC Bricktown Ballpark in Oklahoma City.

“The next step for us is to get over the hump, finish in the first five and become a Top 25 program,” Price said. “I like our freshman class a lot, and I like our junior class that’s returning if we don’t get hurt in the draft next week.

“And we think we’ve signed two big-time arms. You have to be able to pitch to play in this conference.”

Strikeout king: Mike Zagurski’s outing wasn’t pretty, but it did contribute to a KU record.

Zagurski’s third-inning punch-out of Chance Wheeless gave him the school record for single-season strikeouts. Roger Slagle had the previous mark of 111, set in 1976.

Zagurski needed two strikeouts for 112, and that was exactly what he got before Texas knocked him out of the game.

Uncle Pete: One last name in the Texas lineup may have been intimidation enough.

Batting ninth for the Longhorns on Thursday was Thomas Incaviglia. The sophomore is the nephew of Pete Incaviglia, a former Oklahoma State outfielder regarded as one of the greatest college baseball players of all time.

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Pete played at OSU from 1983 to 1985, and in 1985 he hit 48 home runs and drove in 143 runs in just 75 games. He finished his three-year career with 100 home runs, an NCAA record.

Thomas doesn’t have power. In two seasons, he’s yet to hit a homer.

What now?: Now that KU’s season is over, most of the players will spread out all over the country playing in various summer leagues. Meanwhile, a couple of upperclassmen — catcher Sean Richardson and outfielder A.J. Van Slyke, perhaps — could be selected in the major league baseball amateur draft June 7-8.